Have you tried Windows 7?

[ninjapirate89]

I am currently installing the beta under virtualbox and so far I am impressed. It is going (almost) as smoothly as my ubuntu installation did. What do those of you have tried it think about it so far?

[northwestuntu]

i played with it a little, but besides changing the taskbar. i couldn't see much of a difference from vista. what part was good about it.

[ninjapirate89]

I haven't gotten to play with it at all yet. I'm just now installing it but so far it seems much easier to install than any other windows OS I've used.

[jflaker]

I installed it but killed the install because right out of the gate, it would not let me install some software that was needed which I have on my work XP laptop.

Sorry, 2 for 2 (vista was just a dog and Win7 wouldn't allow my software), I will likely never use windows again except for work.

[northwestuntu]

I haven't gotten to play with it at all yet. I'm just now installing it but so far it seems much easier to install than any other windows OS I've used.

yeah the install seemed very clean and went fast. i was happy about that.

[Deamos]

Tried it out. The interface is smooth and much more responsive than Vista. However, it does not feel very intuitive and no different UI wise than Vista. In all honesty, It feels more like a service pack that should have been applied to Windows Vista than a whole new OS release.

If MS keeps doing releases like this, they will be overtaken by Ubuntu by the time they get around to Windows 8.

[Ravernomina]

well i took a look at the kernel its alot smaller compared to the vista kernel about 250 MB smaller :shock:. I think MS is finally figuring out how to make a kernel. :lolflag:



@ deamos: I agree fully

[KiwiNZ]

I have and it is very good.

What Vista should have been.

[ninjapirate89]

I hope that their work keeps improving. I would actually much rather see them succeed at making something decent and change their business practices then to see them completely go under.

[I-75]

Definitely more responsive than Vista, the UAC is much improved. Despite some minor issues, it should be a winner for Microsoft. However I am still a huge fan of XP and will be for a long time.

[kk0sse54]

I'll agree it's an improvement but overall I could care less, it still isn't anything I'd run on my machine.

[ninjapirate89]

I must say I'm impressed. My installation got done about 15 minutes ago. It is currently running on only 512MB of RAM and it seems to be performing just fine (plus I like what they've done with the task bar). I would be tempted to install this as a dual boot on my laptop instead of xp if Microsoft prices it right (which they won't).

[coldReactive]

Thought about it, but then saw this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7#Removed_features

[jomiolto]

No and I'm not going to. I have very little interest in Windows overall and I only use it at university, library, etc. Besides, I still see XP everywhere, so it might take a few years until I start seeing Windows 7 :P

[ninjapirate89]

Thought about it, but then saw this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7#Removed_features

I read through that list and couldn't help but notice that many of those were unimportant or were replace with newer features. The one thing that did kinda bother me on that list was the Advanced Tag Editor from Windows Media Player...but who uses that anyway?

[coldReactive]

I read through that list and couldn't help but notice that many of those were unimportant or were replace with newer features. The one thing that did kinda bother me on that list was the Advanced Tag Editor from Windows Media Player...but who uses that anyway?

I hate grouping, I like the classic start menu.

The network animation for the network icon in the notification area is very good for dial-up users. Yes, many people still use dial-up!

The numeric pad from on-screen keyboard was much faster than using the numbers above the qwertyuiop keys.

People still used netmeeting when Vista came about, removing Meeting Space hinders people who use netmeeting.

On the note of grouping, it says that they removed the number shown beside the group.

[ninjapirate89]

1. I hate grouping, I like the classic start menu.

2. The network animation for the network icon in the notification area is very good for dial-up users. Yes, many people still use dial-up!

3. The numeric pad from on-screen keyboard was much faster than using the numbers above the qwertyuiop keys.

4. People still used netmeeting when Vista came about, removing Meeting Space hinders people who use netmeeting.

5. On the note of grouping, it says that they removed the number shown beside the group.

1. I think they wanted to remove classic not only to trim down on the overall size of the os but also because they are trying to encourage people to stop using the old way of doing things.

2. Is it just the animation thats gone or the whole icon? I don't wanna boot up 7 again just to check.

3. Who uses an onscreen keyboard?

4. This does seem like a dumb move but I guess they removed it because they know that businesses are likely to continue using xp anyway.

5. I think they did this to make the task bar nicer looking (and I personally like it). It isn't really a benefit to know how many windows are grouped as long as you can tell that they are being grouped.

[Paqman]

What do those of you have tried it think about it so far?

Meh. Nothing to get excited about, I thought.

Having said that, i've never really used Vista much, and it seems to be in comparison to Vista that people are getting excited about it.

The installer was a lot better than the terrible one on XP, but I think the new taskbar is terrible. The rest of the UI is just bog-standard Windows. So it's familiar, but a bit dull. The system tray is 100% better than anything Windows has had before, although that's not saying much IMO, as previous incarnations have been dire.

Certainly compared to current Linux distros, it's pretty pedestrian. The only time I use Windows is to run games, and there's not really anything in Win7 that would make me migrate off XP as my Windows gaming platform. The only thing that might be tempting is if it supports SSDs properly, because XP and Vista don't (and i'm guessing XP never will).

[Ticketoride]

I hate grouping, I like the classic start menu.
Yup, that's definitely a Deal-Breaker for me ... I like to customize my Menus with the least Disneyland Interface possible.

Never used Windows Media Player either, first Thing after a fresh Install I'd rip the Registry apart to get it off my System. Everything else they removed is neither here not there.

That's probably why Win 7 runs faster and more stable than Vista ... much of the Bloat has been stripped out, but other than that its probably much the same as Vista.

[speedwell68]

I heard a lot of hype about it, tried it, couldn't really see what all the fuss was about. Kind of like the LSD of computer OSes.:D

[amingv]

It's a lot less bloated that Vista, I can say that much (and might very well run on relatively lower-end systems that can't handle Vista), there haven't been much improvements to the CLI, unfortunately (which I hoped there would be).

MS Paint has had a good year, if they add syntax highlighting/automatic indentation to notepad they would have done away with two of the most useless programs in existence.

(Also the fact that they put a betta as the background of their "beta" release is about the worst humor ever.)

[ninjapirate89]

It's a lot less bloated that Vista, I can say that much (and might very well run on relatively lower-end systems that can't handle Vista), there haven't been much improvements to the CLI, unfortunately (which I hoped there would be).

MS Paint has had a good year, if they add syntax highlighting/automatic indentation to notepad they would have done away with two of the most useless programs in existence.

(Also the fact that they put a betta as the background of their "beta" release is about the worst humor ever.)

It does seem to be a lot less bloated that Vista (I have it running in VB with only 512MB of RAM). On a side note, your sig wouldn't happen to be from the band System of a Down would it? If not that seems very similar to the lyrics of one of their songs.

[juancarlospaco]

It works just 5 minutes.
until i installed "alcohol 120%", so then reboots and BSOD, and reboots and BSOD, and reboots and BSOD, and reboots and BSOD, and reboots and BSOD, and reboots and BSOD, ...

It doesn't have "Telnet" or "Hyperterminal", i can't connect to Cisco routers.

[Newuser1111]

It doesn't have "Telnet" or "Hyperterminal", i can't connect to Cisco routers.Vista also doesn't have Telnet.

[drawkcab]

My university will offer me an insane deal on it when it appears, so yeah I'll try it out on this machine (MSI 1651) down the road. My only interest in W7 at this point is its ability to support mainstream gaming and a few other things I need for work. If I had to pay full price, forget it.

[coldReactive]

It works just 5 minutes.
until i installed "alcohol 120%", so then reboots and BSOD, and reboots and BSOD, and reboots and BSOD, and reboots and BSOD, and reboots and BSOD, and reboots and BSOD, ...

It doesn't have "Telnet" or "Hyperterminal", i can't connect to Cisco routers.

http://www.hilgraeve.com/htpe/download.html

[juancarlospaco]

Vista also doesn't have Telnet.

Correct, but they named to this crap "Enterprise" and "Ultimate"
but you can't connect to a Router :confused:

[amingv]

On a side note, your sig wouldn't happen to be from the band System of a Down would it? If not that seems very similar to the lyrics of one of their songs.

It is. (Chop Suey). I put it there on an emo moment and laziness seems to have kept it there.

Thanks a lot for reminding me of my misery! (j/k :))


It doesn't have "Telnet" or "Hyperterminal", i can't connect to Cisco routers.

Holy mother of FAIL, I hadn't noticed that!
Like my grandmother used to say: "What they do with their hands they destroy with their feet."

More traffic for PuTTY, I guess?

[mamamia88]

i'm kind of hoping im out of college by the time it comes out but yeah they sell vista ultimate for $35 on campus might have to pick up win 7 if they get it

[ninjapirate89]

It is (Chop Suey). I put it there on an emo moment and laziness seems to have kept it there.

Thanks a lot for reminding me of my misery! (j/k :))


No problem! lolz
System is one of my favorite bands.

[Monster_user]

...but you can't connect to a Router :confused:

Probably for remote configuration purposes. The router in question probably does not have a remote HTTP configuration option, or it has been disabled for security.

192.168.1.1

Personally, I like Windows 7. After using Mac OS 10.2 for a while, I'll consider any more complete OS to be good enough.

I do have a few complaints.

1. I do not want the Office 2007 ribbon in smaller programs such as MSPaint. or worse, Wordpad. It does improve usability for novice users in Office 2007. However, I feel that it is a horrible decision to use it in the lighter programs. The programs have not been impressive thus far.

2. The taskbar is far too transparent. Personally, I am a fan of the Windows Vista theme. Transparent title bars on maximised windows, and the overly transparent taskbar is atrocious.

3. I don't like the way my tasks are arranged on the taskbar. They are mixed in with Quick Launch icons. Perhaps I have OCD, but it seems the taskbar was designed to drive an OCD person insane.

You try to move a task to the right of a "pinned" icon, and the pinned icon snaps back on the other side of the task!

You have to open program for the last pinned icon, then rearrange the tasks, then close the last pinned icon's program.

[jocheem67]

I tried it and was pretty fine with it.
However I will never use it, I need xp for low latency with ableton, cubase and traktor...

What I don't like is the new startmenu, taskbar and the way explorer acts in general.
I can't find stuff easily...

[JK3mp]

i'm kind of hoping im out of college by the time it comes out but yeah they sell vista ultimate for $35 on campus might have to pick up win 7 if they get it

I would buy em up and resell them ;) . LoL Regardless the fact that there worth about nil people will solemly compare your $100 price to that of the 180-220 usd price that it sells for in walmart stores and say goodie :-p . On further note i havn't tried windows 7 and im quite scared after my encounter with vista which still bears on my other partition of one of my machines that i boot into here and there and have basically hacked into a less bloated version really.

On another note... i think Vista is gonna be just one of those phases like Windows ME. Gone as quickly as it came :-) . And pretty soon if they don't watch out... ALL there releases will be that way. And god forbid Mac start taking over the mainstream computer industry. xD

[Giant Speck]

I've got build 7000 installed right now. I'm waiting until May 5 to install the release candidate. Overall, I think the OS is pretty good.

[juancarlospaco]

The router in question probably does not have a remote HTTP configuration option, or it has been disabled for security.

192.168.1.1


What...?, CISCO routers.
don't use Web, it uses Cisco CLI trough Serial cable
all interfaces are down by default
:)

[Saabtite]

hrm, i was going to take a look at it, but they stopped the distribution

[amingv]

hrm, i was going to take a look at it, but they stopped the distribution

You can still get it through bittorrent (I don't think it's illegal, but if it is, correct me on this...)

[spcwingo]

I tried it...I'm not impressed.

[cariboo]

@amingv

Those are pirated versions that you are getting via bittorrent. Microsoft doesn't use bittorrent to distribute software.

[itreius]

Yep, I tried it. I actually considered switching from Linux to Window 7, but unfortunately for MS, a week ago I tried Mac OS (hackintosh). I doubt I'll be using Windows again in the foreseeable future. Dual booting Mac OS X 10.5.6 (vanilla kernel) and Debian Lenny (which'll be replaced with Jaunty later today).

[fatality_uk]

I have equated Windows 7 to Anna Kornikova, looks great but doesn't perform that well!!

[skymera]

I run the latest leaked Beta (forgot the name).
Shortly after booting and running few things, the memory usage was on par with Vista (800MB RAM and 1GB swapped) and it started to behave like Vista.

Hardly a big wow.
No doubt MS will try and force people to upgrade by adding "exclusive" rubbish to it. Just like DirectXfail 10 in Vista

[matthewbpt]

Vista also doesn't have Telnet.
Actually Vista does have Telnet, I've used it, it's just not enabled by default.

[zenithdave]

Looks and feels a lot like Vista but it's residing in Virtualbox so i can't really asses its performance.

[amingv]

@amingv

Those are pirated versions that you are getting via bittorrent. Microsoft doesn't use bittorrent to distribute software.

I know they don't, but since it's a beta release you could have downloaded from their very site some days ago, and which they're hoping you'll test/give feedback of without expecting as much as a thank you, does it still count as pirated software?

The license agreement doesn't seem to forbid distributing either.

[pwnst*r]

I installed it but killed the install because right out of the gate, it would not let me install some software that was needed which I have on my work XP laptop.

Sorry, 2 for 2 (vista was just a dog and Win7 wouldn't allow my software), I will likely never use windows again except for work.

you do realize it's beta, right

[Frosty G]

ive heard the beta is really buggy
so i thought id wait for an actual release
does anyone know the date?

[Giant Speck]

ive heard the beta is really buggy
so i thought id wait for an actual release
does anyone know the date?

It'll be released to manufacturers sometime in September, and released to the public in January.

[Stenico]

The UI changes are simply brillant. These 7 features are all winners:

(1) Windows grouped by icons on the taskbar, which can be pinned (retaining quick launch functionality).
(2) Aeropeek is very useful
(3) Middle clicking on a window preview gives a quick way of closing unwanted windows.
(4) Jumplists...
(5) Dragging windows to the side of the screen automatically resizes them to take up half the screen - try living without this after using it for a few months (I use the "areosnap" program on XP now)!
(6) The show desktop icon is now permanently displayed in a corner of the screen, oh happy day! :-)
(7) Configurable systems tray - you can choose which icons are shown

I now find Vista, XP and gnome incredibly clunky by comparison UI-wise.

Speedwise, while windows 7 was much quicker than vista for me after a fresh install, after using it for 3 months it is starting to slow down.

In my use the beta has been less buggy than vista.

[Pinoy915]

I was using build 7077. After using it for a while, the taskbar would start to flicker like crazy. I do not know if it was because of that particular build because it has not happened with a previous build I tried. Also, my explorer would crash when I was trying to view the contents of a folder that Digsby created. It was quick, but I do not know the difference between Vista and 7 because I have never had speed problems with either one. I am very pleased with Jaunty. I will only use Windows if absolute necessary within virtualbox.

BTW, Jaunty beats both as far as boot up times.

[the8thstar]

In my opinion, the UI is very good : very crisp, still familiar and yet innovative (see above posts). I think 7 could be a winner.

I would wait until the end product comes to make a final opinion... after all this is still a beta. Oddly enough, build 7000 was more stable than build 7057 which I upgraded to. Maybe I should have performed a clean install instead.

[juancarlospaco]

oh yup, i forget it, CLI doesn't matter, isn't so Aero-ish

[lykwydchykyn]

I've got it on a box here at work, since we'll probably be migrating to it in the next year or two. I guess it's ok, seems slicker than Vista in some regards.

I predict the consumer reception will be good. Not because it's that much better, but just because people were so disappointed with Vista and they're ready to like Microsoft again. Yeah, I know, not most of us here, but the folks out there are. I mean, people I talk to are sold on Win7 already and they haven't tried it at all, they just expect that it will be better than Vista.

My goal is to have someone else admin'ing the Windows boxes by that point. If only...

[ice60]

i haven't tried it, but i heard it can corrupt all your mp3's unless you do a system update!!!!!!!! so remember to do a windows update first. :D

[karellen]

I've been using it on my laptop since February and, until now, with the exceptions of some minor glitches unavoidable for a beta release, it's been a positive experience. not so much different from Vista, but then again, Vista runs just fine on my desktop...

[CrazyArcher]

Tried to install a beta build in a VirtualBox a while ago, it crashed before anything could be installed. Got a newer build and it worked fine. I haven't really digged it, but all in all I'm impressed how it works. The feedback I hear from people is mostly positive. I think I'll try it out after I upgrade my PC (the VirtualBox was hosted on a stronger machine).

[geoken]

I like it. Overall it's pretty similar to Vista (which I never had a problem with) with a few nice window management tweaks. The tweaks, while small, are pretty helpful. The new taskbar grouping is so helpful that in some apps I stopped using the internal tab management features and set the app to open new instances because the new taskbar's multi-instance handling is superior to internal tabs.

[pwnst*r]

how is a UI "crisp"?

[the8thstar]

Crisp = detailed, fine, enjoyable to the eye... etc.

[Wiebelhaus]

Yes! It's much better than Vista but not good enough to draw me away from *Unix.

[0per4t0r]

I haven't tried it, but my friend has, and he says it's great.
And, I can't believe nobody posted this yet:

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/windows_7.png

[73ckn797]

Was not impressed and no longer have it loaded on my test computer.

[Giant Speck]

I haven't tried it, but my friend has, and he says it's great.
And, I can't believe nobody posted this yet:

Probably because it has been posted in almost every Windows 7 thread on these forums so far.

[pwnst*r]

more likely that's it's unfunny.

[///]

Microsoft have made a super platform in windows 7

[ninjapirate89]

Microsoft have made a super platform in windows 7

I wouldn't say "super" but I would say that it is a vast improvement over Vista (although XP is still better in my opinion)

[kamaboko]

I wouldn't say "super" but I would say that it is a vast improvement over Vista (although XP is still better in my opinion)

XP is nothing to Windows 7. To suggest XP is better is ridiculous.

[northwestuntu]

XP is nothing to Windows 7. To suggest XP is better is ridiculous.

how is 7 better then xp?

[pwnst*r]

I wouldn't say "super" but I would say that it is a vast improvement over Vista (although XP is still better in my opinion)

in what regards is XP better?

[BrokenKingpin]

I tried Windows 7 for a bit and it definitly runs better than Vista. I am looking forward to it because I still need to use Windows for work and can't stand Vista.

[Alterax]

Tried it. Overall, I agree with the sentiments that it is (so far) what Vista should have been. The install was faster; the kernel was smaller, and it did run a bit faster on my test box compared to Vista.

That being said, it's spiffed up a bit, but it's still lackluster in the sense that I'm not getting anything of value from it that I don't already get from WinXP (or for that matter, from Linux). What I would do on it--software development, databases, office applications--can already be done on XP or Linux. There's no "killer feature" that I've seen with 7, other than the fact that MS will at some point drop support and security patches for the previous versions.

There's also the matter that the user experience will still be very different from the leaked and beta versions that the testers are using. Those versions are (with a couple of minor tweaks) the base OS that MS is working with. When 7 actually hits the market, it's already been determined that different licensing options will be in place (like they do with Vista). These options don't so much involve adding value to the base operating system for the more expensive versions; like Vista, they are going to start with the base OS and cripple down their software to make the cheaper versions. So whatever we are seeing new in 7, we can also keep in mind that it will be throttled down, tiered, and locked down in the final version(s).

I don't mind paying for some software, if it does something critical that I can't do with free software (fail), and if they're willing to fix bugs in their product after purchase (for the most part, win). However, I'm not about to fork over hard-earned money for software that has intentionally had bugs added to strip it of functionality--just so I can pay an extra couple of hundred bucks per seat for an upgrade.

[JK3mp]

Gotta quit comparing it to vista. I keep hearing people saying. OH WINDOWS SEVEN IS SO GREAT! MUCH BETTER THAN VISTA!! But the joke of it is. Vista wasn't much to compare too. LOL

[Shiva88]

Is it still possible to get this from anywhere? I know that they closed the beta officially and it's no longer available from MS directly, but are there any other (legitimate!) sources for the beta?

[Giant Speck]

Is it still possible to get this from anywhere? I know that they closed the beta officially and it's no longer available from MS directly, but are there any other (legitimate!) sources for the beta?

The release candidate will be available for public download on May 5.

[franklee]

Hey guys I have a couple of questions that have been bugging me for a while now. Ive been using *nix in one form or another (yes unix too) for over twenty five years. My questions are these. 1: Why is Vista so terrible? Without references to aesthetic disappointments, increased (incremental) load times and annoying permissions settings...getting past that stuff....whats so bad about it? Ive been using it for work on a laptop and everything goes ok. Ive had it for six months, no virii, no malware, no security issues at all. I dont use antivirus software, I dont run a firewall (software or hardware) and Im a network technician so I know that I ought to...but I wanted to see what would happen to a naked vista box...so far NOTHING. It still goes ok and does all my mission critical stuff when I need it. So tell me fellas. Whats so **** about Vista? My 2nd question is this: Can anyone explain to me (consider me naive) why vista was released when Win 7 is just around the corner. Why did Microsoft sell us on Vista when its improved (as one punter put it earlier in this thread) UPDATE of a younger brother was just about ready for release? Oh and I have a third question for anyone who is still reading this (mind me, I just had one too many coffees) WHY THE HELL ARE ANY OF US STILL USING WINDOWS? Isnt Ubuntu a really stable debian fork? Debian is great! Stuff just works. I can do everything I need and my wife who is not as PC literate as I am can do what she needs to do too....why are we still supporting MS? Thankfully I finally convinced my local PC dealership to sell Laptops naked...without OS's or with Debian Etch and Ubuntu (modified slightly)....thats an actual achievement where I come from. *stalks off to find coffee* (and dont tell me you use Windows for the games...thats my excuse!) :lolflag:

[WiFi Ed]

The release candidate will be available for public download on May 5.

Maybe...I read somewhere that it's supposed to be available to MSDN and Technet subscribers on the 5th and to the general public on the 15th. But it will probably appear on the torrent sites about an hour after it's available to the subscribers so maybe you're right...:lolflag:

[milio1401]

i haven't really tried it nor i think i am,although i really hope they have improved it as much as they say they say they have,'cause competition is always good,it forces you to try new things and work harder,that's why M$oft decided it was really the time to make a big improvement in their OS 'cause other OS were gaining up on them
At least that's what i think. :biggrin:

[Giant Speck]

Maybe...I read somewhere that it's supposed to be available to MSDN and Technet subscribers on the 5th and to the general public on the 15th. But it will probably appear on the torrent sites about an hour after it's available to the subscribers so maybe you're right...:lolflag:

Actually, from what I have read, the RC should already be available to MSDN and Technet subscribers and that it would be released to the public on May 5.

[kenweill]

No. Haven't tried it. And dont want to try it.

Every new release of M$ products have higher system requirements.
I dont want to use it. It will probably makes my system obsolete.

[pwnst*r]

**insert rubbish here**

troll elsewhere

[Kingsley]

I'll wait for the release candidate or final version to come out before I download and try Win 7.

[mamamia88]

so if i'm running the beta now would i have to reinstall to get release canidate or can i get it from windows update?

[hairy one]

Yes I dual booted as a secondary to Ubuntu because I could, and it was free!!! from the all empowering MS, sorry DISempowering

But alas, I got virused. I was using the 64 Bit system and guess what, I couldn't find a 3rd party firewall!! Swiss cheese of the operating system.
I feel I have wasted a disc for nothing but more pain and suffering.

"so if I'm running the beta now would I have to reinstall to get release candidate or can I get it from windows update?"

I can remember something about "only valid until August" in the agreement details, I think?

[kamaboko]

No. Haven't tried it. And dont want to try it.

Every new release of M$ products have higher system requirements.
I dont want to use it. It will probably makes my system obsolete.

I've got it running on an Asus 1000HA w/2GB of RAM and Office 2007. I've got the OS, Office, Inet, and music playing all at the same time coming in at less than 1GB of memory. I doubt it will make your system obsolete. It's easily as fast as the eeebuntu I have installed on the same laptop.

[Giant Speck]

I've got it running on an Asus 1000HA w/2GB of RAM and Office 2007. I've got the OS, Office, Inet, and music playing all at the same time coming in at less than 1GB of memory. I doubt it will make your system obsolete. It's easily as fast as the eeebuntu I have installed on the same laptop.

I have it running on a two-year-old Toshiba laptop with 1GB of RAM, and it works just fine. I did a few tests one night and found that I could actively use Photoshop, Word 2007, Google Chrome and WinAMP and only consume 780MB of RAM with no noticeable signs of slowdown.

But, as with any piece of software, your experiences may vary.

[WiFi Ed]

Actually, from what I have read, the RC should already be available to MSDN and Technet subscribers and that it would be released to the public on May 5.

I'm a TechNet Plus subscriber (access to OS's, Office, betas, etc.) and Win 7RC isn't there yet, but I saw another post today here: http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windows7/archive/2009/04/24/windows-7-release-candidate-update.aspx that says April 30th for MSDN & TechNet and May 5 for the general public so it looks like your original date of May 5 for the public was correct!

[oack]

How much hard disk space does Windows 7 take up?



edit found out, for Windows 7 Basic it's 20GB

[BslBryan]

Windows 7 is the best Windows OS since 95, in my opinion. I'll not go back to it, and it was only to test out, but I was very impressed. Besides not being buggy 24/7 and running faster/taking less space, there were many features that were much improved from past versions. True, they're already working on another version, starting from scratch as opposed to rewriting Vista, but for improving upon the Vista OS, it was very good. As someone posted earlier, this is what Vista should have been. And I believe that in place of hounding it for being a better Vista, it should be praised. Microsoft is finally learning from their mistakes, which is a very good thing. Microsoft paint, for example, hasn't been upgraded in years, but the Windows 7 paint was actually a bit of fun to play around with. Microsoft offers a lot of out-of-the-box compatibility and stability. This is the reason why viruses are usually aimed towards it: it is so user-friendly that users do not have to know computers at all to use the software, so they won't have any idea of what to do when a virus comes along. Here, we get most stuff from the Ubuntu repositories, and we check for corrupted files/info in any 3rd party stuff we get. Linux users are generally more computer savvy than Windows users. :P And truly, I believe most people bash Windows because they charge a fee to use the software, and then have problems. The thing most people neglect to realise is that Redhat is Linux, too, and they offer a great, but NOT PERFECT OS, and they've decided to charge a fee for it's use, too. I am not condoning this, but people will do what they want to do. I changed to Ubuntu, and I like it more than any other operating system available, but I'm not so close-minded that I can't admit that Windows 7 is a fine operating system.

[Giant Speck]

I'm a TechNet Plus subscriber (access to OS's, Office, betas, etc.) and Win 7RC isn't there yet, but I saw another post today here: http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windows7/archive/2009/04/24/windows-7-release-candidate-update.aspx that says April 30th for MSDN & TechNet and May 5 for the general public so it looks like your original date of May 5 for the public was correct!

I love being right! :)

[roachk71]

I'd thought about it; even tried to download the .iso. But since I didn't have any DVD-Rs to burn the image to (and due to my distrust of Windows), I blew it off.

I would much rather keep my desktop free, stable and secure.

Now, with no working DVD burner (probably because of a bad SATA signal cable), using a USB thumb drive is a much better installation choice: It works faster and is more reliable. Windows still doesn't offer that method...

[geoken]

how is 7 better then xp?

- DWM allows for cool plugins (like Switcher witch is equivalent to Scale or Expose).

- Compositing makes the UI not slow down during load

- The integrated search provides a lot more view options to explorer ie. Stacks view and search folders as well as filtering.

- explorer supports hundreds of types of metadata that can be used for filtering/grouping/sorting

- taskbar items can be reordered so you can align them in task based groups

- window actions are easier with various screen edge functions

- editing files is faster because recent files can be accessed directly from the associated programs icon

- app launching is faster due to pre-fetching

Those are just a few of my favorites.

[pwnst*r]

But since I didn't have any DVD-Rs to burn the image to (and due to my distrust of Windows), I blew it off.



come on, really

[Spiritous]

Nope, I thought about it, then noticed it was TWENTY GB! I can't resize ubuntu and XP just for some bugged beta I'm only going to use once.

[Giant Speck]

- DWM allows for cool plugins (like Switcher witch is equivalent to Scale or Expose).

- Compositing makes the UI not slow down during load

- The integrated search provides a lot more view options to explorer ie. Stacks view and search folders as well as filtering.

- explorer supports hundreds of types of metadata that can be used for filtering/grouping/sorting

- taskbar items can be reordered so you can align them in task based groups

- window actions are easier with various screen edge functions

- editing files is faster because recent files can be accessed directly from the associated programs icon

- app launching is faster due to pre-fetching

Those are just a few of my favorites.

Don't forget Libraries. Oh, how I love Libraries.

[pwnst*r]

Nope, I thought about it, then noticed it was TWENTY GB! I can't resize ubuntu and XP just for some bugged beta I'm only going to use once.

storage is so cheap sounds like you need an upgrade if you're concerned with 20GB.

[Mehall]

storage is so cheap sounds like you need an upgrade if you're concerned with 20GB.

I'm sorry, not everyone has lots of spare money to spend.

Also, upgrading just to try a Windows Beta is a horrid waste of money and hardware.

/vent

[pwnst*r]

I'm sorry, not everyone has lots of spare money to spend.

Also, upgrading just to try a Windows Beta is a horrid waste of money and hardware.

/vent

lots of spare money? have you not looked at HDD prices in the last 5 years or something?

[Giant Speck]

I'm sorry, not everyone has lots of spare money to spend.

Also, upgrading just to try a Windows Beta is a horrid waste of money and hardware.

/vent

I agree. No matter how nice I think Windows 7 is, I wouldn't upgrade my hardware just to use it.

[khelben1979]

My vote: no.

[Dok]

Windows 7 is a big improvement. At work I will move from XP to 7 and skip Vista. Windows 7 is faster, more like a new XP install and the gui is more streamlined. It just feels "lighter" than Vista. Everything happens quicker and in many cases you can do things with fewer mouse clicks.
Dok

[Mehall]

lots of spare money? have you not looked at HDD prices in the last 5 years or something?

I'm working a part time job where half of my wages go just to me getting to and from work, and another quarter goes to my parents.

I then need money so I can see friends and have a social life. Tell me exactly how I am expected to spend *any* money at all on a HDD?

[Ticketoride]

It works just 5 minutes.
until i installed "alcohol 120%", so then reboots and BSOD, and reboots and BSOD, and reboots and BSOD, and reboots and BSOD, and reboots and BSOD, and reboots and BSOD, ...
Nothing to do with the OS, as Alcohol by default installs a Virtual Emulating Device Driver that has BSOD' every Version of Windows since '95. If you also have ClondCD/DVD, AnyDVD & Nero installed, which also install their own, you get to play around in Safe Mode for a Couple of Hours to yank these Apps back out.

Newer A120% Releases have an Option to un-check this Service, but you'll have to go into every Nook & Cranny to find it.

[null.byte]

No, I didn't try Windows 7. I don't care.

[doorknob60]

Better than Vista, and even XP. Not bad, but sorry Microsoft, it's not gonna be that easy to make me switch back.

[geekygirl]

I had it running on a Dell Vostro for about 2-3 weeks after the public beta release and I must say I was suitably impressed. Nice to see that MS listened to the end-users and the negative response that was given to Vista upon its release. (Never mind that Vista is actually a better OS now than XP, especially with XP support having ended on the 14th of this month)

The only reason I had to revert to Vista is because of Punk Buster lol - otherwise it would have stayed there until August. (Thats the ONLY reason I cannot run pure Ubuntu as well..meh)

ITs just like everyone else has already said - this is what Vista should have been had the concentrated more on the OS itself rather then the DRM and fancy GUI side of things!

[lemuriaX]

Yeah hard drives are cheap nowadays but 20 GB for the base OS? What gives?

[DracoJesi]

Tried it out. The interface is smooth and much more responsive than Vista. However, it does not feel very intuitive and no different UI wise than Vista. In all honesty, It feels more like a service pack that should have been applied to Windows Vista than a whole new OS release.

If MS keeps doing releases like this, they will be overtaken by Ubuntu by the time they get around to Windows 8.

Promise? :D

I'm not surprised, I heard 7 is just a massive retooling of Vista...

[balcis]

actually the new concept of quicklaunch+taskbar is a great idea that i wouldn't except from microsoft. it's more useful than the other docks as a taskbar, and better than a taskbar as it's also a quicklauncher. love it.

[skymera]

Promise? :D

I'm not surprised, I heard 7 is just a massive retooling of Vista...

I wasn't impressed. It seemed like a desperate attempt to claim some users.
The early Betas were pretty quick, i knew there had to be a catch.
The latest version i tested (No idea which version, since i cared little) seemed to have a lot more bloat and general sluggishness.

As with all Windows, it will slow down after a good weeks use. So 1 day beta testing isn't a realistic test tbh.

[kilosan]

Windows7 beta is worth it at its current price tag = Free!
But i dont think ill get it when its start asking for fees.

The last windows ill use is XP. Ubuntu has covered everything already.

[kenweill]

I've got it running on an Asus 1000HA w/2GB of RAM and Office 2007. I've got the OS, Office, Inet, and music playing all at the same time coming in at less than 1GB of memory. I doubt it will make your system obsolete. It's easily as fast as the eeebuntu I have installed on the same laptop.

Most of my PCs are Pentium D with 512mb DDR400, 256mb nvidia card. Works well with Ubuntu.

With windows 7? It will really make my PC obsolete. :(

[Crowder]

do you guys know if it still does that thing where it constantly asks you if you want to do something?

[Giant Speck]

do you guys know if it still does that thing where it constantly asks you if you want to do something?

User Access Control? Yes, but you can configure it now or turn it off entirely (which isn't smart).

[coldReactive]

User Access Control? Yes, but you can configure it now or turn it off entirely (which isn't smart).

UAC causes some programs to not work properly though, IE:

if UAC pops up during Wonderland Online, Wonderland Online's window goes blank, and you have to restart the client.

[Giant Speck]

UAC causes some programs to not work properly though, IE:

if UAC pops up during Wonderland Online, Wonderland Online's window goes blank, and you have to restart the client.

In Windows 7, you can configure UAC to only notify you if a program made by an unknown publisher is requesting permission to run. Or again, you can turn it off entirely. Your choice.

[geoken]

I get XP users complaining about UAC, but I don't understand how a Linux user could complain. UAC prompts seem to occur about as frequently as prompts for my password in Ubuntu. Considering I try and use strong passwords the latter seems far more intrusive (although I don't mind since I understand the need).

[thomasboleyn]

I'm using the build 7100 RC that was leaked recently. It installed in about the same amount of time that Ubuntu takes, and boots and runs like a dream. The only thing that disappoints me is that windows media center won't detect my xbox as an extender as it would on vista, meaning that I can't watch downloaded films on my 32" Samsung flatscreen tv :(

[thomasboleyn]

Oh, I can now actually. For some reason the extender detecting service was set as 'disabled'...

[stwschool]

storage is so cheap sounds like you need an upgrade if you're concerned with 20GB.

20GB is crap. I've installed it on a virtualbox with Adobe CS4 and a bunch of other stuff and it's only taking 10GB.

[Giant Speck]

20GB is crap. I've installed it on a virtualbox with Adobe CS4 and a bunch of other stuff and it's only taking 10GB.

On my computer, Windows 7 only took up 4.8 GB of disk space after installation.

[gnomeuser]

I tried the Beta for a few hours, it wasn't all to stable but I have no fear that Microsoft will bring their A game on this one and the RC is likely to be much better.

I quite like some of the changes, having not used Windows since Windows 98 for any length of time I have to admit that Windows 7 looks quite nice.

[MontelEdwards]

I am currently installing the beta under virtualbox and so far I am impressed. It is going (almost) as smoothly as my ubuntu installation did. What do those of you have tried it think about it so far?
How the hell do you get it?

[Deamos]

How the hell do you get it?

Public Beta was released a few months ago.

[CP1256]

I found it was like Vista -200 MB of ram used. I still think ~400 mb of ram is too much, and with that in mind I don't see how they would fit it on a netbook.

I could eventually shave off about 50 MB by removing a lot of useless stuff, but I don't see it replacing Windows XP for me.

I will get a new computer within the next 3-4 months so my opinion might change then.

[mamamia88]

if you have xp there probably isn't much reason to upgrade. but if you are running vista then upgrading will definitely be worth it.

[WiFi Ed]

How the hell do you get it?

The Release Candidate will be available to the general public on May 5th.

[sandy8925]

Netbooks typically have 1 GB of RAM so using 400 MB of RAM isn't really that much of a problem.